Traditions flavor the food, feel at Rocco's

TASTE OF THE TOWN

SOUTH BEND -- It's all about tradition at Rocco's Restaurant, 437 N. St. Louis Blvd.

The tradition of good food from handed-down family recipes, the tradition of the same family spanning four generations, the tradition of dining patrons who also span generations.

Essentially four generations of the Simeri-Ameduri-Verteramo family have been serving their family's dishes to the South Bend and Notre Dame communities for nearly 60 years.

On a recent weeknight, while Rocky and Daniel Verteramo (fourth generation) cook pasta and prepare pizza in the kitchen, their parents, owners Linda and Warren Verteramo, greet late-night diners as though they were family. In between greetings, they tell their story that took root in Calabria, Italy.

Linda's grandparents, Rose and Louis Simeri, came from Calabria to South Bend in 1930. Their daughter (and Linda's mother), Julia, later married Rocco Ameduri, also from Calabria, who had been interned in an Italian POW camp in the U.S. With assistance from the Simeris, using some of Rose's recipes, and some of Rocco's recipes, Julia and Rocco opened their restaurant in August of 1951 next door to the Simeris' house.

Linda, along with her sister, Gina, grew up in the restaurant. Warren may as well have. Also born in Calabria, as suggested by his accent, he came to work at Rocco's at age 15 as a dishwasher and busboy. Warren and Linda married in 1976, and Warren became Rocco Ameduri's right arm, running the kitchen while Rocco and Julia greeted guests.

In 1991, Warren and Linda bought the restaurant from her parents; Rocco passed away in 2008.

Rocky, 30, and Daniel, 29, have joined them in the business in recent years. Daniel became a full-time chef in 2003, and Rocky came along in 2005 after he had graduated from Purdue University with a degree in hospitality and tourism management.

Although many things remain the same, some things have changed. The Verteramos took off American dishes such as hamburgers and French fries and have gone to an exclusively Italian menu. They introduced “white” pizza — a pesto-based pizza. Their sons introduced the Caprese salad that rivals in popularity their famous Italian “Julia salad” and have expanded the restaurant’s wine selections.

The Verteramos enlarged the restaurant by joining the original restaurant building with her grandparents’ house so that now they can seat 150 patrons. Rocco had established a connection to the University of Notre Dame; the location near campus drew students and priests alike from the earliest days.

The friendly, warm atmosphere seems to be nearly as much a draw as their signature pizza, which Rocco’s touts as “South Bend’s oldest pizza.”

Spaghetti with Aglio & Olio & Funghi

(Garlic, Oil and Mushrooms)

8 garlic cloves, sliced

3.5 ounces of extra-virgin olive oil

1½ cups sliced mushrooms

Teaspoon salt

1 or 2 pinches of parsley

Saute garlic in olive oil until garlic starts getting soft. Add mushrooms, salt and parsley. In a separate pot of boiling water, add about a handful of salt and Ð pound of spaghetti. Cook 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and toss with mushroom mixture.

Note: This is the recipe Rocco’s uses for one of its large servings, which can usually serve two. It can easily be doubled for four servings.